Combined primer and cylinder lubricator for internal combustion engines



C. L. STOKES April 18, 1933.

COMBINED PRIMER AND CYLINDER LUBRICATOR FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINESOriginal Filed Nov. 11, 1925 Patented Apr; 18, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE A CHARLES LAWRENCE STOKES, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR,BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 LYNN A. WILLIAMS, 0] EVANSTON, ILLINOIS, ANDCLIFFORD C. BRADIBURY, OF GLENCOE, ILLINOIS, TRUSTEES COMBINED PRIMERAND CYLINDER LUBRICATOR FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Originalapplication filed November 11, 1925, Serial No. 67,864, now Patent No.1,764,659, dated June 17,

1930. Divided and this application filed November 2, 1928.

My invention relates to improvement in a lubricator fors- \Qsf combinedprimer and cylinder internal combustion engines.

Various attempts have been made the past to provide lubrication to thecyhnders of internal combustion engines above the pistons so as toassure an efficient seal between the pistons and cylinder walls, wh chis of particular importance during the pruning of the engine, to preventcrank case d1- lution, and of course which is important during theentire operating period of the engine to assist in maintaining highcompression. These devices, however, were operated continuously or bymanual control by the driver, with the result that either too much ortoo little lubricant was admitted to the engine cylinders and that asufficient quantity of lubricant was not available at the time when mostneeded, viz: during the admission of a rich priming charge to thecylinders often comprised largely of raw fuel.

An object of my invention is to provide an improved primer andlubricator wh1ch functions simultaneously to prime the engine cylindersand lubricate the cylinders as the engine is started.

Another object is to provide a primer and lubricator for internalcombustion engines in which the amount of priming charge and lubricantadmitted to the engine cylinders is dependent upon the speed of theengine.

Another object is to provide a primer and lubricator for internalcombustion engines wherein a relatively heavy priming charge andlubricating charge is introduced to the engine cylinders during lowspeed as at cranking, and wherein the priming charge and lubricantadmitted to the cylinders is decreased as the speed of the engineincreases upon its own power.

A further object is to provide a primer and lubricator for internalcombustion engines for which the time during which the apparatus isoperative as a primer and lubricator is dependent upon the temperatureof the engine and wherein the apparatus is rendered inoperative upon theattainment of normal running engine temperature.

Serial No. 316,858.

Other advantages and objects will hereinafter appear.

This application is a divisional art of my co-pending application,Serial No. 67,864 now Pat. No. 1,764,659, granted June 17, 1930, forautomatic fuel regulators, filed November 11, 1925.

My improved primer and lubricator is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, in which Fig. 1 is aside elevation illustrating an internalcombustion engine equipped with the combined primer and lubricator, and

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through a art of the apparatusillustrated in Fig. 1.

1g. 3 is a plan view partly in section of the valvular member.

The primer and lubricator selected for illustration herein is shownassociated with an internal combustion engine having an exhaust manifold2, an intake manifold 3, a carburetor 4, and an oil sump 5.

A hot air stove 6 surrounds the exhaust pipe 2 and hot air therefrom isconducted through a hot air pipe 7 to the air inlet 8 of the carburetor4.

The carburetor 4 may be of any well known make having a float chamber 9to which liquid fuel is fed through a fuel pipe 10 by any well knownmeans. A carburetor throttle valve 11 is provided to control the flow offuel mixture from the carburetor 4 to the engine cylinders through theintake manifold 3.

With reference to Fig. 2 it may be seen that an open bracket 12 issupported within one side wall of the stove 6. A bi-metal thermostaticelement 13 is fixed at one end to the op osed side of the bracket 12 byscrews 14. Tl ie element is thus exposed to the heated air within stove6 and will move with the rise and fall of engine temperaturecommunicated thereto by the exhaust pipe 2 and the moving air stream asit is drawn toward the air inlet 8 of the carburetor.

A valve body 15 is fastened externally of and to the stove by screws 16which also form the interconnecting means. between bracket 12 and thestove. This valve body has a bore 17 extending axially thereof withinwhich a hollow stem valve 18 is free to slide.

.so as to prevent t One end of valve 17 has an enlarged head 19 lyingwithin a chamber 20. be head 19 normally bears against the adjacent wall21 of chamber 20 by virtue of a compression spring 22 surrounding thatend of the valve near the thermostatic element 13 which spring is placedbetween the end wall of casing 15 and an adjustable button 23 threadedupon an externally threaded portion 24 of the valve.

That part 25 of valve 18 which extends from the valve body into thestove 6, is uadrangular in cross-section and passes t rough a similarlformedguide plate 26 e rotation of the valve body 15. ipe 27communicates at e float chamber 9 and at with respect to the A li uidfuel one en 28 with t its opposite end with a fuel port 29 in the bod15, with which port a plurality of fuel fee passages 30 in t e side wallof the hollow valve 18 normally register. As valve 18 moves a ainst theforce of spring 22, certain or all 0 the passages 30 will be moved outof registration with the fuel feed port 29.

Concurrent with the shutting off of communication between the passages30 and. the port 29, other passages 32 wall of valve 18 will be causedto register with an air inlet 33 communicating through assages 34 withthe interior of stove 6.

The head 19 of valve 18 has 9. lug 35 therein through which a centrallyisposed discharge port 36 is drilled. A acking disc 37 is fixed to theouter face of ead 19 and encompasses the delivery orifice of dischargeport 36.

' Chamber 20 is closed at that end facing the valve head 19 by a plug 40which has a plurality of small passages 41 therethrough, eachcommunicating with a pipe 43 connected directl with the intake manifold3 of the engine a ove the carburetor 4. Communication between thepassages 41 and chamber 20 is shut off. by the packing disc 37 whenvalve 18 is moved to the extreme right. (See Fig. 2.) a

The free end of'the thermostatic element 13 has an opening 45 throughwhich the threaded portion 24 of valve 18 extends so that the elementmay bear against button 23 to move valve 18 upon a predeterminedincrease in the engine temperature and in proportion to the increase intemperature, until the valve is in a position to completely shut offfuel port 29 and close passages 41.

A lubricant supply pipe 50 is connected with the liquid fuel pipe 27 ata point between the float valve 9 of carburetor 4 and the fuel inletport 29 of valve 18. The opposite end of the pipe 50 is connected to theinterior of the oi sump 5 as shown at 51. The valve 52 in lubricatorpipe 50 serves to control or shut off entirely the flow of lubricant tothe liquid fuel pipe 27.

the air orifices 32 will through the side I have thus provided a meansfor introducing a predetermined amount of lubricant with the liquid fueladmitted to valve 18 for the purpose of priming, so that each primingcharge may have any desired proportion of lubricant mixed therewith. Avalve 53 in the liquid fuel i e 27 is employed to shut off or controltlie supply of liquid fuel or both liquid fuel and lubricant whendesired.

In operation, my improved primer and lubricator functions as follows:Prior to startingengine 1, which is cool and at rest, the valve 18 willlie in the position shown in Fig. 2 whereby all of the orifices 30 arein communication with the liquid fuel in float chamber 9 through fuelpipe 27 and fuel port 29. These openings 30, while shown as of uniformdiameter, may be of varying diameters if desired, in which case thatopening nearest to the valve head 19 would be the largest.

The orifices 30 being completely open, be of course shrouded. Uponcranking engine 1 with the throttle valve 11 substantially closed, theengine suction will be applied through passages 41, port 36 and ori ces30 to draw a large supply of liquid fuel from float chamber 9 to-.gether with a lubricating charge of oil through pipe 27, which fuel andoil is continuously fed through ipe 43 and manifold 3 to the enginecylin er until firing commences. A small amount of air is also admittedat this time to chamber 20 through an adjustable valve 58, which airassists in the partial atomizing of the liquid fuel as it passes throughthe passages 41.

Immediately upon ring of the engine, the depression in manifold 3 andhence chamber 20 will suddenly increase, whereupon a predeterminedmovement in the valve 18 against the force of spring 22 will take place,resulting in the closing of certain of the openings 30 and theregistration of certain of the passages 32 with the air inlet 33-34.

This action has two functions, the first to positively reduee the volumeof fuel and lubricant in the priming charge by shrouding one or more ofthe fuel openings 30; the second, is to reduce the suction applied tothe remaining fuel openings 30 by admitting air through the openings 32to relieve the depression within chamber 20.

This opening movement of valve 18 responsive to sudden increase in theengine suction, will draw button 23 away from the thermostatic element13 and while engine 1 continued to run at the same speed, no furtherchange in the position of valve 18 by engine suction will take place.

Regardless of the movement 0 valve 18 by engine suction, warm air withinstove 6 circulating past element 13 as it is drawn .l ficiently to seatthe packing disc 37 over passages 41, resulting in the complete shuttingoff of the priming and lubricatin charge.

During the initial period of priming, the

movement of valve 18, due to the sudden increase in engine suction asthe engine fires and increases to its idling speed, causes certain ofthe fuel openings 30 to be closed and certain of the air'openings 32 tobe open, as described. If new the throttle 11 is opened for the purposeof accelerating the engine, the suction in manifold 3 communicated tochamber 20 will decrease, permitting the valve to fall back and therebyin- I crease the fuel charge by reopening certain of the openings andclosing certain of the openings 32. The amount to which the valve 18will fall back upon the sudden drop in engine suction duringacceleration may be limited if desired by maintaining a prede- 30termined distance between button 23 and thermostatic element 13 for agiven temperature. Of course, as the engine warms up it is not necessarythat-the increase in the richness of the priming and lubricating chargebe as pronounced, which condition is provided for in the natural advancetoward button 23 of thermostatic element 13 upon the increase in enginetemperature, as described. 4

It is thus apparent that I have provided a primer and lubricator for anengine which is automatically governed by both engine suction andtemperature, both coordinately and separately, according to therequisite conditions, to provide excess fuel and a lubricant to theengine'only during the period required to bring the engine to a goodrunning temperature whereupon the functions of the combined primer andlubricator-are 59 entirely suspended.

As the primer and lubricator operates in carrying out one of itsfunctions to supply a lubricant to the engine cylinders at eac time theengine is started, an effective seal is obtained between the piston andthe cylinder walls during that time when excess fuel is fed thereto.After the engine has reached its normal running temperature and thefeeding of fuel and lubricant through the apparatus has ceased, thelubricant will of course remain in the engine cylinders and becomeslowly dissipated during operation of the engine.

When the engine is again started, an additional charge of lubricant willbe supplied.

An excess quantity of lubricant will not be fed to the engine cylindersas through continuous starting and stopping of the engine during normaluse, because the quantity of lubricant as in the case of the quantity ofliquid fuel in the priming charge depends upon engine temperature.Therefore, if the engine, after running, is started several timesbetween short intervals, only a relatively small quantity of lubricantwill be fed into the engine cylinders, because of the operation of valve18 by the thermostatic element 13.

lVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States is 1. A primer and'lubricatorfor. internal combustlonengine, a avalve body I having a p rtfor 'communicating with the intakemanifold of an internal combustion engine, means for feeding liquid fuelprimmg charge to said port during the starting of the engine and othermeans for feeding a lubricant to the liquid fuel charge.

2. In combination with an internal combustion engine, a valve bodyhaving a port adapted to communicate with the intake manifold thereof, avalve responsive to engine temperature adapted to close said port as theengine warms up and means for feeding a lubricantto said port.

3. In combination with an internal combustion engine, a body having aport adapted to communicate with the intake manifold thereof, a movablevalve responsive to engine temperature adapted to close said ort as theengine warms up and means for f eding liquid fuel and lubricant to theport.

4. In combination with an internal combustion engine, a valve bodyhaving a port adapted to communicate with the intake manifold of theengine, a sliding valve responsive to engine manifold suction and enginetemperature for controlling communication betweensaid ort and said enine manifold and means or supplying a In ricant to said port.

5. A primer and lubricator for internal combustion engine comprising avalve body having a port for communicating with the intake manifold ofan internal combustion engine, means for feeding liquid fuel primmgcharge to said port during the starting of the engine, andother meansfor feeding a lubricant to the liquid fuel charge, said last named meansbeing operable to vary the proportion of fuel and lubricant fed to saidport. I

6. A primer and lubricator for internal combustlon engines comprising abody havmg a port for communicating with the intake manifold of aninternal combustion engine, automatic means for supplying a fuel primingand lubricating char e to said port during the starting period 0 saidengine, said means being operable to shut off the supply of fuel andlubricant to the port when t e engine attains a predetermmedtemperature.

7. A rimer and lubricator for internal combustion engines comprising avalve body having a port for communicating with the intake manifold ofan internal combustion engine, a fuel inlet, said fuel inlet normallycommunicating with said port, a source of lubricant also communicatingwith said fuel inlet, means responsive to the differential in pressurebetween intake manifold depression and atmospheric pressurefordecreasing the supply of fuel and lubricant to said ort upon an increasein engine speed as rom cranking to starting, an other means cooperatingwith said first named means for closing said port as the temperature ofthe engine increases to normal running temperature.

8. A rimer and lubricator for internal combustion engines comprising avalve body having a port for communicating with the intake manifold ofan internal combustion engine, a fuel inlet, said fuel inlet normallycommunicating with said port, a source of lubricant also communicatingwith said fuel inlet, and means responsive to the differential inpressure between intake manifold depression and atmospheric pressure fordecreasing the supply of fuel and lubricant to said port upon anincrease in engine speed as from cranking to starting.

in witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 26 day of October,1928.

CHARLES LAWRENCE STOKES.

